A legal proposal to overhaul the EU’s cybersecurity rules passed a major hurdle on Tuesday (10 July) as the European Parliament’s Industry Committee (ITRE) approved a plan to create a voluntary system for certifying the security level of technology products.

The European Commission should “walk the walk” and use strong encryption to protect its computer networks against hackers---instead of pushing member states to adopt controversial new legislation, the head of Germany’s cybersecurity agency has said.

Linda Cogruedo Steneberg, Director at the the European Commission's DG Connect , revealed how the EU executive is trying to extend broadband coverage and democratise the internet, as well as protecting our privacy as hacker attacks become more commonplace. EURACTIV Spain reports.

EU technology chief Andrus Ansip predicted that member states will ask for money from a planned European emergency fund if they suffer major hacking attacks, despite wariness over the EU stepping up its cyber security plans.

The European Commission will add funds and new powers for the EU cyber security agency and introduce a range of measures to limit threats from hackers, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced in his annual state of the union speech on Wednesday (13 September).

One week before the European Commission is expected to present a slew of new cyber security proposals, Vice-President Andrus Ansip said that the new measures will not take away too much power from national authorities.

EU digital chief Andrus Ansip wants to set up a new office to certify the cybersecurity level of technology products -- which would make them more competitive globally -- as part of an overhaul of the bloc's rules in September.

MEPs are pressuring the European Commission to propose new cyber crime rules on hacking vulnerabilities, encryption and information sharing between EU countries, ahead of a legal overhaul planned for September.

Andrus Ansip told EURACTIV.com in an interview that Estonia's digital success can't be copied everywhere and the 2007 cyber security attacks there would have been worse if EU countries hadn't shared information to help out.

The EU cybersecurity agency ENISA will get a makeover in September when the European Commission renews its mandate and presents a batch of new cybersecurity measures. The director of the Athens-based agency has been asking for a bigger budget to deal with the rise in attacks on internet-connected devices.